Increased levels of somatostatin in rat ankles with adjuvant arthritis

Levels of somatostatin were investigated in the ankles and spinal cords of rats suffering from acute and chronic adjuvant arthritis. As measured by ra dioimmunoassay, somatostatin showed significantly higher concentrations onl y in chronic arthritic ankles. No significant difference was observed in so matostatin levels between the spinal cords of normal and arthritic groups. Using immunohistochemical labeling and electron microscopy, we observed inc reased somatostatin labeling in the mature bone matrix, monocytes, and poly morphonuclear cells of bone marrow and macrophage-like synovial cells of ch ronically arthritic rats. Understanding the mechanism(s) which lead to incr eased somatostatin in chronic arthritic joints may result in more effective treatment methods.